Witsie entrepreneurs

Skye Saltzman

Age: 35

Wits degree: BA 2004 (International Relations)

Career: Investment banker turned charcuterie entrepreneur

What, charcuterie entrepreneur? It means he makes biltong... But it’s upmarket. Skye was working in banking in London and, just for fun, operating a once-a-month pop-up restaurant in a pub, featuring South African favourites. It turned out that Brits and expat South Africans alike were hungry for good-quality meat snacks, so in 2017 Skye left banking and started Woza Biltong & Charcuterie. Noting that customers wanted ethically sourced meat with no artificial preservatives, he set his mind on providing premium quality. Some of the products have already won awards.

Skye didn’t have a firm career plan in mind when studying at Wits. His interests included law, international relations and music and he wasn’t sure what direction he would take. “The BA undergraduate degree, therefore, was perfect for me as it exposed me to different subjects, ideas and students, broadened my mind and taught me how to think. The degree also offered flexibility to enjoy the numerous social and non-academic features of being at Wits, which I certainly maximised. Looking back, I think that was very important for my personal development.”

It was chance that got him into banking. After graduating from Wits and getting an LLB from UCT, he went on what was meant to be a gap year, starting in London. Soon he was offered work there with a start-up in financial technology, which opened his eyes to the fast-paced international world of investment banking and financial services. He spent seven years at a large bank and went through the experience of the global credit crisis, but eventually started to yearn for the days of smaller, more entrepreneurial ventures that offered a better work-life balance. Having obtained UK citizenship, he could also afford to be more adventurous in his next role.

Skye had always enjoyed good food. But living in London, with its huge variety and quality of food options, turned his interest into a passion. He and a chef friend decided to launch Woza in 2015 as a pop-up restaurant, offering a menu of modern takes on their favourite dishes from back home, such as bobotie, Cape Malay fish curry and malva pudding.

Their home-made biltong was the most popular item on the menu, so Skye decided to focus on this demand. While still at the bank, he did a year of consumer research by approaching potential clients in his chosen market segment (fine food and drink, as opposed to health) and soon had enough clients to leave his job in May 2017. “I was sure to leave on good terms with my old management and team and not burn any bridges.”

Skye has learnt a lot from running his own business. “In many ways, working for large companies can be easier because you have the status of the brand behind you and resources of the firm at your disposal. Trying to build a brand from scratch and get the attention of consumers in a competitive and crowded marketplace is extremely difficult and takes a lot of hard work and especially luck.”

Planning and research is useful and a soft launch or trial can be a good idea, but at some stage you have to take the plunge and start “learning by doing”.

“One also needs a thick skin as there are plenty of closed doors and negative responses in the early days. It’s important to celebrate the small client wins and success stories! Resilience is important but so is being honest and objective with yourself. There is no point in obtaining market feedback if you ignore it. Chances are that your business model and product will not be perfect from the start and will require tweaking over time.”

Skye had a lot to learn about distribution, in particular.

“Finally, I can’t stress the importance of networking enough. Pretty much all of the good things that have happened professionally for me have been as a result of my trusted networks, whether professional or otherwise. Devoting time to appreciating, nurturing and leveraging your network is crucial and I can say for sure that Woza would not have been possible without the support of my network.”

And if it doesn’t work out? “I still would have had a blast and learnt loads! It is worth trying to find happiness and fulfilment in your professional career.”